Maybe intentionally or not, they followed this with “Dreaming,” which was also a standalone single release to promote the band’s first greatest hits compilation back in 1988.
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The English Electric, History Of Modern and The Punishment Of Luxury all got a look in, as did their most recent single, “Don’t Go,” recorded as a new track to complete their Souvenir 40th anniversary album. This was a nice break in the set and it’s something that Duran Duran have also done to similar effect.Ī retrospective show means several recent songs from OMD’s “comeback” albums from the late 2010s and onwards were also featured. At one point, all four members took to the front of stage, behind small electronic devices Kraftwerk-style, to perform “Statues” and “Almost” (the B-side to their first single, “Electricity”). It could be said that much like Simple Minds, OMD’s visibility in the US is limited to hit a song featured on a John Hughes soundtrack, in this case Pretty In Pink’s “If You Leave.” A Gen Z friend I was with who’d never really heard of OMD but was thoroughly enjoying the show, found out they did of course know “If You Leave.” “Oh yeah it’s the ‘touch you once, touch you twice’ song! It’s these guys? Oh wow!” But of course OMD’s US hardcore fanbase have been with them since the beginning and they were rewarded with “Stanslow,” “Enola Gay,” and “Electricity” from OMD’s early albums. Dazzle Ships was only touched on with the interlude ‘Time Zones’ included in the set, but overall there was something from every phase of OMD, including a special treat for fans of Architecture & Morality with “Souvenir,” “Maid Of Orleans,” and “Joan Of Arc” running together. Almost every album got a look in with the exception of two from the 1990s McCluskey-only versions of OMD - Liberator and Universal. With an output of 13 studio albums over their career, choosing what songs to play on a 40th anniversary retrospective would not be easy. Kershaw’s powerful live drumming combined with pulsating sequences and periodically McCluskey’s signature bass riffs, bring both men and machines together. And perform they do! These four English gents are a powerhouse of electro pop, not letting up from the get-go.
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Live, OMD perform as a four-piece band featuring Andy McCluskey on lead vocals and bass, Paul Humphreys on keyboards and vocals, along with original keyboardist/saxophonist Martin Cooper and drummer Stuart Kershaw (who has been working with the band since the early 1990s). Delayed for a couple of years due to COVID-19, the Souvenir tour celebrates 40 years of OMDs extensive and pioneering electronic pop career. Saturday night, April 30, saw the second show in a two-night stand for Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark at New York’s Brooklyn Steel, as part of their 40th anniversary tour.